-The size is great.
-The price is slightly higher than I thought it would be - was thinking just under $1k for LTE version.
-The keyboard add-on price is crazy.
-The pencil is slick. Almost too slick - no grip.

Is it the best tablet out-there for professionals…absolutely. Is it a laptop replacement, unfortunately nope.

Will definitely try it out (the drawing) as soon as it hits the Apple store. I’m looking for something where I can draw decently, but I also what to see what the Microsoft comes up with for the next gen Surface.

Yeah they should’ve shown that instead of Autocad, but i’m left with a feeling that this is not Pro enough… if you’re a design or engineering professional you won’t be producing final work on the iPAD Pro, you’ll have to do that on your Mac or PC. Even with improved Apps, they are still not competitive with Desktop Apps. Maybe I was foolish hoping they put OSX on it, but that seem like a next logical step, at least they could have made it an extension to those who have Macs (like a Cintiq Companion)…

I would have like to see an actual “Pro” review/hands-on with it. The guys that get this opportunity early, mainly are just write blogs and reviews, and have a cookie cutter approach for reviewing new devices/tech.

Unless the Pencil is mindblowing good, my money is going to Microsoft.

I don’t see it. From where I sit, they’ve been de-emphasizing OSX dev in favor of iOS (and now tvOS) for years. My money is on Apple gradually phasing OSX into something more iOS-like over time, gradually herding devs into a more opinionated framework for app dev. It will take a long time, but it’s already started.

It’s true that pro apps like the ones we use today aren’t currently available in app form, but I think that too is just a matter of time. I wouldn’t be surprised to see even big software broken down into app-sized chunks for use on devices like these.

In the near term, you’re absolutely right. But given five or ten years, I’m my bet’s on devices like iPad Pro becoming more and more usable as pro design tools.

I was hoping to see OS X on it as well, but at that point it’s a Macbook Air without a touchscreen. So, since the iPad Pro wasn’t launched with OS X, I think they’re keeping the UX separate so it doesn’t cut into sales of the other. That says to me that they’re seeing ‘Pro users’ using both which equals more $$$$. So with that, I don’t think they’ll phase out OS X into something iOS-like.

Microsoft has also been a good study in pushing UI toward mobile, then bringing it back to a combo that’s more practical for desktop users. I don’t think they follow in their footsteps, unless to one-up them and show them how it’s really done.

Eventually, it won’t make sense to have the same size iPad with OS X and OS X lappy with touch, if iOS/browser apps are capable of the same thing, so it’ll come down to UX, keeping that separate, plus how to get people to buy more of your devices.